Wool washing machine



y 1936. w w. WINDLE WOOL WASHING MACHINE Original Filed March 12, 1954 2 Sheets-Shet 1 y 1936- w. w. WINDLE WOOL WASHING MACHINE 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 12,

Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Original application March 12, 1934, Serial No. 715,184. Divided and this application Novemher 4, 1935, Serial 3 Claims. This invention relates to machines for washing or scouring wool or other similar fibers, and for removing grease and dirt therefrom and is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 15,184, filed by me March 12, 1934.- In such washing or scouring machines, the wool is fed loosely into an elongated tank partially filled with water or with a soapy or alkaline solution, according to the condition of the wool to be treated. The wool is loosely suspended in the solution and a is gradually worked toward the delivery endof I the machine during the washing operation.

It is essential that the wool fibers be gently handled while in the machine, as otherwise an undesirable felting action may take place, particularly when a soapy solution is used.

It has been customary in certain wool washing machines to use a mechanically operated rake for thus gradually advancing the wool along the tank. These rakeshave been given a forward motion when in the solution and an idle return movement when raised out of the solution, so

that the action has been intermittent and the feeding device has been inoperative more than one-half of the time.

It is the object of my invention to provide a wool washing machine having improved means for advancing the wool through the solution and for causing the wool to progress toward the discharge end of the tank.

A further object is to provide forwarding means which is continuous in its action, so that the wool is given a substantially uniform and contin- .uous advance movement through the machine, instead of being alternately pushed ahead and brought to rest as in certain previous machines.

A-still further object is to provide means for 7 giving the wool an elongated path of travel through the machine, by introducing a transverse component into the forwarding action.

' My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of portions of my improved wool washing machine, and

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation thereof.

My improved wool washing machine comprises an elongated tank iii, preferably rectangular in cross section and usually entirely open at the top. The tank is filled with water or other suitable liquid to a substantial depth, as shown in Fig. 2, and is preferably provided with a perforated screen or false bottom I i which keeps the wool in the upper part of the solution, while dirt removed from the wool may drop through the screen H and accumulate in the bottom portion of the tank, from which it may be occasionally removed as desired.

I have indicated a supply chute I2 at the left- I hand end of the machine, as viewed in Fig. 2, through which chute the loosened fibers are dropped into the tank I a. Any suitable and usual mechanism may be provided for feeding the loosened fibers to the chute l2.

At the right-hand end of the machine, as viewed in Fig. 2, I have shown the perforated screen or false bottom it gradually approaching the surface of the solution in the tank and connecting with a guide-plate l4 which forms a continuation of the perforated screen H and guides the wool or fiber between a pair of press rolls I5 by which the wool is squeezed and delivered to a conveyor l6, which takes the wool to a second washer or to a drier according to the stage to which the wool treatment has progressed.

Suitable means is provided for delivering wool to the rolls l5, and in Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown the usual type of such mechanism.

As shown, the delivery mechanism comprises a rake 20 pivoted on a cross shaft 2 i, the outer ends of which are supported in bearings in blocks22 provided with rolls 23 and slidable on inclined fixed guideways 24. Levers 26 (Fig; 1) are also pivoted on the shaft 2! and at their opposite ends are connected to an elongated crank portion 27 of a crankshaft 28, pivoted in bearing brackets 29 mounted on the tank It.

The arms 26 are connected by links to the rake 20.

30 (Fig. 2) 35 The crankshaft 28 is provided with a pinion 3| (Fig. 1) connected by an intermediate gear 32 to a drive gear 33. The crankshaft 28 is thus continuously rotated and the rake 20 is moved to the right while in lowered position and is returned to the left while in raised position, thus intermittently advancing the wool to the press rolls l5.

This delivery mechanism is illustrative only and forms no part of my present invention, which relates more particularly to the construction of the forwarding members by which the wool is advanced through the solution in the tank I0.

Each of these forwarding members comprises a body portion 40 mounted on a shaft 4| supported in brackets or bearing blocks 42 on the top edges of the tank It]. Any convenient means may be provided for continuously rotating the shaft 4i and in Fig. 1 I have shown the shaft 4| 55 provided with a sprocket 44 engaged by a drive chain 45.

It will be understood that in practice the machines are very much elongated and that any desired number of forwarding members may be provided. The sprocket chain Q5 may be arranged to engage sprockets 44 on all of the shafts 4| and thus simultaneously rotate all of the forwarding members. Preferably the chain 45 is connected to a driving sprocket operated in timed relation to the movement of the drive gear 33.

The body portion All of each forwarding member is preferably formed from suitable sheet metal, such as sheet steel or bronze, and comprises a deeply grooved or corrugated metal drum or cylinder. The corrugations, however, are not helical but annular, and are disposed in parallel planes oblique to the axis of the drum shaft M, so that portions of the corrugations at opposite sides of the drum are oppositely inclined with respect to the axis.

The operation of my improved machine will be readily understood. By continued rotation of the forwarding members, successive portions of the corrugations thereon are successively submerged and advanced through the water toward the right or delivery end of the machine, thereby gently urging the suspended wool in the desired direction.

Furthermore, as said successive portions are oppositely inclined, the wool is first gently pushed transversely toward one side wall of the tank It! and then transversely toward the opposite side wall, while at the same time it is slowly advanced toward the delivery end of the machine, thus progressing along a more or less zig-zag path of travel. As the wool passes beyond the field of action of one forwarding member, it comes into the field of action of the next forwarding member and is thus given a substantially continuous although somewhat irregular advance movement toward the delivery end of the machine.

I sometimes find it desirable to mount spray pipes 50 (Fig. 1) between successive forwarding members, and these spray pipes are provided with perforations which are inclined downwardly and rearwardly, so that water will be delivered therefrom as indicated in Fig. 2. These rearwardly and downwardly directed jets of water serve to further agitate the wool in the solution and also tend to submerge the wool to greater depth, it beingfound that the wool has a tendency to float at or near the surface of the solution.

The spray pipes may also be used to'vary and control the rate of travel of the wool through the tank, as the rearward direction of the jets tends not only to agitate and submerge the wool, but also to retard its travel toward the delivery end of the machine. Thus by increasing the force of the jets, the rate of travel of the wool may be correspondingly decreased and the time of the washing operation may be lengthened when desired.

In practical operation, it has been found that a wool washing or scouring machine equipped with my improved forwarding members will effectively remove dirt or other foreign substances from the wool without felting action, and will accomplish this at a very substantially increased speed, so that substantially more wool can be passed through the machine in a given length of time.

My improved machine is also extremely simple, comprising many less parts than the commonly used rake feeding mechanism, and there are few relatively moving parts to become loosened or to get out of adjustment.

It will be understood that the indicated crosssection of the corrugations is illustrative only and may be varied to suit operating conditions.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:-

1. A wool washing machine comprising an elongated tank to contain a washing solution, a pluraiity of driven forwarding members each rotatably mounted on said tank and extending transversely thereof, each forwarding member comprising a body rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and provided with a plurality of wool-engaging peripheral corrugations positioned in parallel planes oblique to the axis of rotation of said forwarding member, and driving connections between said forwarding members effective to maintain adjacent forwarding members in such angular relation that the parallel planes in said adjacent members are continuously oppositely inclined with respect to the normal path of wool travel.

2. A wool washing machine comprising an elongated tank to contain a washing solution and a plurality of driven forwarding members each rotatably mounted on said tank, each forwarding member extending transversely of said tank and comprising a substantially cylindrical sheetmetal body having a plurality of peripheral annular grooves and intervening annular ribs, said grooves and ribs being all disposed in parallel planes, and said planes being oblique to the axis of rotation of said forwarding member.

3. In a wool washing machine having an elongated tank to contain a washing solution, a driven forwarding member rotatably mounted on said tank and extending transversely thereof and comprising a body rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and provided with a plurality of woolengaging peripheral corrugations, all positioned in parallel planes oblique to the axis of rotation of said forwarding member.

WINFRED W. WINDLE. 

